


The Returning Cold: Into the Wilderness

by RiverStorms



Series: The Returning Cold [1]
Category: Warriors - Erin Hunter
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2020-02-26 22:01:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,206
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18725848
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RiverStorms/pseuds/RiverStorms
Summary: Moons after Bluefur gives up her kits to RiverClan and loses one in the snow, a kittypet named Winter hears from one of the young neighbors' cats that his best friend had gone into the forest- and subsequently has gone missing with not a sign of him. Angered, the large cat ventures into the woods in order to get some knowledge and perhaps payback, only to discover a surprising secret about herself.





	1. Allegiances

**ThunderClan**

**Leader:** Bluestar - tall blue-gray molly with ice-blue eyes

**Deputy:** Redtail - small dark tortoiseshell trans tom with a bushy, distinctively-ginger tail and green eyes (Apprentice, Dustpaw)

**Medicine Cats:** Spottedleaf - slender tortoiseshell-and-white molly with amber eyes

**Medicine Apprentice:** None

**Warriors:** Lionheart - large pale golden tabby tom with thick fur around his neck and green eyes (Apprentice, Graypaw)

Tigerclaw - large, thick-furred dark brown tabby tom with numerous scars and pale amber eyes

Whitestorm - large, thick-furred white tom with one gray hind paw, a gray ear and yellow eyes (Apprentice, Sandpaw)

Willowpelt - tall, slender pale silver-gray molly with pale blue eyes

Mousefur - small dusky brown molly with dark amber eyes (Apprentice, Ravenpaw)

Runningwind - tall, slender pale brown tabby molly with green eyes

Cherryleaf - red-brown tabby molly with white patches and green eyes

Darkstripe - large dark gray tabby tom with black stripes and yellow eyes

Longtail - very pale brown tabby tom with black stripes, a long tail and yellow eyes

 

**Apprentices:** Sandpaw - tall, very pale brown tabby molly with green eyes (Daughter of Runningwind and Redtail)

Dustpaw - slender brown tabby tom with amber eyes (Son of Fuzzypelt and Robinwing)

Ravenpaw - slender black tom with a white spot on his chest, a white tail tip and green eyes (Son of Fuzzypelt and Robinwing)

Graypaw - large, stocky thick-furred gray tom with a darker back and yellow eyes (Son of Willowpelt)

 

**Queens:** Speckletail - large, tall pale golden-brown tabby molly with amber eyes

Goldenflower - tall pale golden tabby molly with green eyes

Brindleface - speckled pale gray molly with green eyes (expecting kittens)

Frostfur – white molly with a black ear, black paws and blue eyes

 

**Kits:** Lynxkit - tall ginger tabby kitten with black patches and green eyes (Son of Patchpelt and Goldenflower)

Swiftkit - small black-and-white kitten with pale amber eyes (Son of Patchpelt and Goldenflower)

Brackenkit – golden-brown tabby kitten with green eyes (Son of Lionheart and Frostfur)

Brightkit – large thick-furred white kitten with ginger patches, a ginger tail and green eyes (Daughter of Lionheart and Frostfur)

Cinderkit – smoky dark gray kitten with blue eyes (Daughter of Lionheart and Frostfur)

Thornkit – tall thick-furred golden-brown tabby kitten with blue eyes (Son of Lionheart and Frostfur)

 

**Elders:** Smallear - stocky gray tom with very small ears and green eyes

Halftail - large dark brown tabby tom with patchy fur, a stumpy tail and green eyes

One-eye - stocky pale gray molly with one missing eye and one clouded yellow eye

Dappletail - tortoiseshell molly with white patches and amber eyes

Patchpelt – small black-and-white tom with amber eyes

Rosetail – gray-and-brown tabby molly with pinkish-ginger patches, a bushy pinkish-ginger tail and green eyes

 

**ShadowClan**

**Leader:** Brokenstar - large, stocky dark gray-brown tabby tom with a broad flat face, thick and easily tangled fur, a bent tail, numerous scars and orange eyes

**Deputy:** Blackfoot - large white tom with black paws, one paw with six toes and amber eyes (apprentice, Tallpaw)

**Medicine Cats:** Runningnose - small, thin gray-and-white tom with a perpetual sniffle and green eyes

**Medicine Apprentice:** None

**Warriors:** Brackenfoot - tall pale ginger tom with dark ginger legs and green eyes

Blizzardwing - large white tom with blue eyes

Ashheart - pale gray molly with blue eyes

Frogtail - dark gray tom with blue eyes

Newtspeck - small mottled black-and-ginger tabby molly with blue eyes

Scorchwind - large ginger tabby tom with amber eyes (Apprentice, Swamppaw)

Nutwhisker - stocky brown tom with orange eyes (Apprentice, Oakpaw)

Rowanberry - stocky brown-and-cream molly with orange eyes

Boulder - large, thin gray tom with amber eyes (Apprentice, Wetpaw)

Russetfur - dark ginger tabby molly with green eyes (Apprentice, Blossompaw)

Wolfstep - thick-furred gray-and-white tom with white legs and blue eyes

Clawface - brown tom with numerous scars and amber eyes (Apprentice, Littlepaw)

Fernshade - large tortoiseshell molly with amber eyes

Flintfang - large gray tom with thick-furred paws and amber eyes (Apprentice, Badgerpaw)

Deerfoot - gray-brown tabby tom with yellow eyes

Darkflower - black molly with green eyes

Dawncloud - small pale ginger tabby molly with blue eyes

Cinderfur - thin gray tom with orange eyes (Apprentice, Whitepaw)

Stumpytail - brown tabby tom with a short tail and orange eyes

Tangleburr - gray-and-brown molly with green eyes (Apprentice, Brownpaw)

 

**Apprentices:** Tallpaw - tall pale brown tabby molly with green eyes (Daughter of unknown parents)

Blossompaw - white kitten with blue eyes (Daughter of Stumpytail and Dawncloud)

Oakpaw - small pale brown kitten with orange eyes (Son of Stumpytail and Dawncloud)

Swamppaw - white kitten with a brown tail and orange eyes (Son of Stumpytail and Dawncloud)

Brownpaw - brown kitten with amber eyes (Son of Boulder and Newtspeck)

Littlepaw - small brown tabby kitten with blue eyes (Son of Boulder and Newtspeck)

Wetpaw - gray tabby kitten with blue eyes (Son of Boulder and Newtspeck)

Badgerpaw - small thick-furred black-and-white kitten with amber eyes (Son of Wolfstep and Fernshade)

Whitepaw - small black kitten with a white chest, white paws and green eyes (Son of Blackfoot and Darkflower)

 

**Queens:** Brightflower - stocky ginger tabby molly with a broad flat face and orange eyes

 

**Kits:** None

 

**Elders:** Crowtail - small very dark gray tabby molly with amber eyes

Archeye - gray tabby tom with black stripes, a black marking over one eye, patchy fur and yellow eyes

Deerleap - gray tabby molly with white legs and green eyes

Poolcloud - small pale gray-and-white molly with amber eyes

Featherstorm - tall dark brown tabby molly with amber eyes

Hollyflower - large dark gray-and-white molly with amber eyes

Ashfur - thin gray tom with yellow eyes

Nightpelt - small black tom with amber eyes

 

**WindClan**

**Leader:** Tallstar - tall black-and-white tom with a long tail and amber eyes

**Deputy:** Hopfoot - small black tom with an injured forepaw and blue eyes (Apprentice, Thrushpaw)

**Medicine Cats:** Barkface - dark brown tom with a short tail and yellow eyes

**Medicine Apprentice:** None

**Warriors:** Doespring - slender pale brown molly with amber eyes

Ryestalk - gray tabby molly with amber eyes

Stagleap - tall dark brown tom with amber eyes

Pigeonfeather - dark gray tom with white patches and blue eyes (Apprentice, Stonepaw)

Sorrelpelt - gray-and-brown molly with blue eyes

Flysnow - thick-furred white tom with amber eyes (Apprentice, Whitepaw)

Rabbitspring - slender, thick-furred pale brown molly with a white belly and yellow eyes

Wrenflight - brown molly with amber eyes

Mudclaw - mottled dark brown tabby tom with amber eyes (Apprentice, Webpaw)

Tornear - gray tabby tom with amber eyes (Apprentice, Runningpaw)

Onewhisker - small mottled pale brown tabby tom with amber eyes

 

**Apprentices:** Stonepaw - gray-brown tom with blue eyes (Son of Sorrelpelt)

Thrushpaw - pale gray-brown molly with blue eyes (Daughter of Sorrelpelt)

Whitepaw - Small white molly with blue eyes (Daughter of unknown parents)

Runningpaw - pale gray tabby molly with green eyes (Daughter of unknown parents)

Webpaw - dark gray tabby tom with green eyes (Son of unknown parents)

 

**Queens:** Morningflower - thick-furred tortoiseshell molly with amber eyes (expecting kittens)

Ashfoot - slender gray molly with green eyes

 

**Kits:** Eaglekit - stocky thick-furred gray kitten with amber eyes (Son of Ashfoot)

 

**Elders:** Lilywhisker - pale brown molly with an injured hind leg and amber eyes

Reedfeather - tall pale brown tabby tom with amber eyes

Palebird - thin, thick-furred black-and-white molly with amber eyes

Meadowslip - gray molly with blue eyes

 

**RiverClan**

**Leader:** Stormstar - large thick-furred pale brown tabby tom with a twisted jaw and green eyes

**Deputy:** Oakheart - large thick-furred red-brown tom with green eyes

**Medicine Cats:** Mudfur - stocky pale brown tabby tom with a paler belly and amber eyes

**Medicine Apprentice:** None

**Warriors:** Frogleap – gray tom with a striped tail and blue eyes

Sunfish – pale brown molly with amber eyes

Blackclaw – black tom with amber eyes (Apprentice, Heavypaw)

Skyheart – pale brown tabby molly with blue eyes

Loudbelly – dark brown tom with amber eyes (Apprentice, Silverpaw)

Reedtail – pale gray tabby tom with a long darker tail and green eyes

Sedgecreek – stocky brown tabby molly with green eyes (Apprentice, Greenpaw)

Leopardfur – large, tall dappled golden-brown tabby molly with darker spots and amber eyes (Apprentice, Whitepaw)

Dawnbright – ginger-and-white tabby molly with amber eyes

Mallowtail – tortoiseshell-and-white cat with green eyes (Apprentice, Mosspaw)

Swanstreak – pale gray cat with a darker stripe on her back, white paws and green eyes

Mistyfoot – large, thick-furred blue-gray molly with blue eyes

Stonefur – large, thick-furred blue-gray tom with green eyes (Apprentice, Shadepaw)

Silverstream – tall, thick-furred silver tabby molly with black stripes and green eyes

Grasswhisker – brown tabby tom with green eyes

Vixenclaw – black molly with amber eyes

 

**Apprentices:** Greenpaw – plump brown tabby molly with a white splash under her chin, one white hind paw and green eyes (Daughter of Whitefang and Petaldust)

Mosspaw – tortoiseshell-and-white molly with green eyes (Daughter of Whitefang and Petaldust)

Whitepaw – black tom with one white paw and amber eyes (Son of Whitefang and Petaldust)

Heavypaw – stocky gray-brown tabby tom with amber eyes (Son of unknown parents)

Shadepaw – very dark gray molly with amber eyes (Daughter of unknown parents)

Silverpaw – pale gray tom with amber eyes (Son of unknown parents)

 

**Queens:** None

 

**Kits:** None

 

**Elders:** Lakeshine – mottled gray-and-white molly with blue eyes

Piketooth – thin dark brown tabby tom with protruding canine teeth and yellow eyes

Shimmerpelt – black molly with blue eyes

Softwing – small, slender white molly with brown tabby patches and amber eyes

Petaldust – thick-furred tortoiseshell molly with green eyes

Graypool – thin dark gray molly with patchy fur and pale yellow eyes

 

**Cats outside Clans**

**Kittypets:** Reena - ginger-and-white molly with green eyes

Quince - gray molly with blue eyes

Nutmeg - thick-furred brown-and-white tabby molly with amber eyes

Winter - large thick-furred gray-and-white molly with green eyes

Sasha - cream-colored molly with a brown face, a brown tail, brown ears and blue eyes

Shnuky - thick-furred gray cat with green eyes

Smoke - thick-furred gray molly with blue eyes (expecting kittens)

Fuzz - thick-furred gray tom with green eyes

Violet - small pale ginger tabby molly with white paws and blue eyes

Henry - plump gray-brown tabby tom with amber eyes (Son of unknown parents)

Oliver - white tom with blue eyes (Son of unknown parents)

Filou - thick-furred pale ginger tabby tom with amber eyes (Son of Jake and Nutmeg)

Luna - thick-furred tortoiseshell molly with green eyes (Daughter of Jake and Nutmeg)

Princess - thick-furred pale brown tabby molly with a white chest, white paws and amber eyes (Daughter of Jake and Nutmeg)

Rusty - tall thick-furred ginger tabby tom with green eyes (Son of Jake and Nutmeg)

Tommy - thick-furred brown-and-white tom with green eyes (Son of Jake and Nutmeg)

Smudge - plump black-and-white tom with blue eyes (Son of Fuzz and Violet)

 

**Loners:** Soot - stocky thick-furred black molly with green eyes

Barley - plump black-and-white tom with big paws and blue eyes

 

**Rogues:** Yellowfang - stocky dark gray molly with a broad flat face, tangled fur, numerous scars and orange eyes

Brick - ginger tom with a missing patch of fur on his back and amber eyes

Bone - large black-and-white tom with numerous scars and green eyes

Scourge - very small black tom with one white paw and blue eyes

Snag - large thick-furred ginger tabby tom with amber eyes

Mowgli - thin brown tom with green eyes (Son of unknown parents)


	2. Prologue

The half moon shone its light on smooth granite boulders, the glow turning them silver. The silence was broken only by the ripple of water from the swift dark river and the whispering breeze through the tree canopy of the forest beyond it.

There was a stirring in the shadows, and from all around lithe dark shapes crept cautiously over the rocks. Unsheathed claws glinted in the moonlight. Wary eyes flashed shades of amber, green and blue. And then, as if a silent signal had been passed among them, the felines leaped at each other, and suddenly the rocks were alive with wrestling, screeching cats.

At the center of the frenzy of fur and claws, a massive dark brown tabby pinned a red-brown tom to the ground and drew up his head triumphantly. “Oakheart!” The tiger-striped tabby growled, his eyes flashing. “How dare you hunt on our territory? Sunningrocks belongs to ThunderClan!”

“After tonight, Tigerclaw, this will just be another RiverClan hunting ground!” Spitting back the response, the thick-furred tom shoved his paws against his opponent.

At the same moment, a warning yowl came from the shore, shrill and anxious. “Look out! More RiverClan warriors are coming!” The call came from a slender pale tortoiseshell molly.

Tigerclaw turned his head to see sleek, wet bodies drawing themselves out of the water below the rocks. The drenched RiverClan warriors bounded silently up the shore and hurled themselves into the battle without stopping to shake off the water from their fur.

The dark tabby glared down at his enemy. “You may swim like otters, but you and RiverClan’s warriors do not belong in the forest!” He drew back his lips and showed his teeth as the deputy struggled beneath him.

“Cricketsong!” The desperate scream of a ThunderClan molly rose above the clamor. A wiry RiverClan tom stood on the edge of the rocks, turning rapidly away from the water’s edge where the tortoiseshell from before was sinking, staining the water red. The cat who had screeched was a red-brown molly with white patches on her pelt, and she was lunging at the enemy warrior, who reared up and swatted her down, pressing his paws against her side to pin her down as she squirmed.

Tigerclaw heard the cry and let go of Oakheart. With a mighty leap, he knocked the enemy warrior away from the molly. “Quick, Cherryleaf, run!” His order came a moment before he turned on the RiverClan tom who had threatened her. The red-brown molly scrambled to her paws, wincing from a freshly-inflicted gash and raced away.

Behind her as she fled, the huge tabby spat with rage as his opponent sliced open his nose. Blood blinded him for an instant, but he lunged forward despite it and sank his teeth into the warrior’s hind leg. The RiverClan cat squealed and struggled free.

“Tigerclaw!” The yowl came from a small cat with a tail as russet as fox fur. “This is of no use! There’s too many RIverClan warriors for us to face!”

“No, Redtail, ThunderClan will never be beaten!” Tigerclaw yowled his response, leaping to the ThunderClan cat’s side. “This is _our_ territory!” Blood was welling from his broad muzzle, and he shook his head impatiently, scattering crimson drops onto the rocks.

“ThunderClan will honor your courage, Tigerclaw, but we cannot afford to lose another warrior.” Redtail urged, his green eyes focused on the river’s edge where the pale tortoiseshell had disappeared. “Bluestar would never expect her warriors to fight against these impossible odds, not with one less cat on our side. We will have another chance to avenge this defeat, and to avenge Cricketsong.” The small tortoiseshell met the much-larger tabby’s pale amber gaze steadily, then backed up and sprang onto one of the taller boulders at the forest’s edge.

“Retreat, ThunderClan! Retreat!” Redtail yowled the order, the sound echoing above the battle. At once the remaining warriors squirmed free of their enemies’ claws. Spitting and snarling, they backed away towards Redtail. For a heartbeat, the RiverClan cats looked confused as the comprehended the scene before them. Then Oakheart raised a jubilant cry, and his warriors echoed it as they heard him declare the victory, a caterwaul from the swimming cats.

Redtail looked down at his warriors. With a flick of his tail, he gave the signal and the ThunderClan cats disappeared from the rocks, back into the shadows of the forest.

Tigerclaw followed last. He hesitated at the edge of the trees, glancing back at the bloodstained battlefield. His face was set in a grim expression with his eyes slitted in fury. Then he turned and leaped after his Clanmates into the silent forest.

  


In a deserted clearing, an old blue-gray cat sat alone, staring up at the clear night sky. All around her, in the shadows, she could hear the breathing and stirring of sleeping cats.

A slender tortoiseshell-and-white molly emerged from a small tunnel, her pawsteps quick and soundless.

In spite of her silent approach, the gray cat turned and bowed her head in greeting. “How are Cherryleaf and Mousefur?” The question was one intoned with an edge of worry.

"Mousefur’s wounds are deep, Bluestar,” replied the tortoiseshell, settling herself on the cool grass. “But she is young and strong; she will heal quickly. It is Cherryleaf that I worry for. Her injuries are slight, but the loss of her friend stings far greater.”

There was a pause of silence before Bluestar spoke again, her blue eyes troubled. “A ThunderClan warrior has not drowned since before I was even born. It was a mere nursery tale of a warrior and his apprentice going in one fell swoop.” Shaking her head, she thought to ask of the rest of the injured. “What of the others?”

“They will all recover, too,” the dappled cat answered, closing her eyes momentarily, only to re-open them as she heard a sigh from the older cat.

“I want to say that we are lucky, but we have lost another cat. It is only by your gift and your skill that no more have gone on to Silverpelt.” The gray molly rested her tail tip on the other cat’s shoulder. “Featherwhisker would be proud of you, Spottedleaf.” She tilted her head upwards again to study the stars above. “ThunderClan has not been defeated in its own territory since I became leader,” she murmured. “These are difficult times for our Clan. The season of newleaf is late, and so many cats passed away in leaf-bare, including kits. ThunderClan needs more warriors if it is to survive.”

“The year is only just beginning,” Spottedleaf pointed out, her tone calm as it always was. “There will be more kits when greenleaf comes.”

The blue-gray cat twitched her shoulders. “Perhaps. But training our young to become warriors takes time. If ThunderClan is to defend its territory, it must have new warriors as soon as possible.”

“Are you looking to StarClan for answers?” Spottedleaf’s question was gentle as she followed Bluestar’s gaze to the swath of stars glittering in the dark sky.

“It is at times like this that we need the words of ancient warriors to help us. Has StarClan spoken to you?” Her ice-blue gaze turned to the healer, filled with seriousness.

“Not for a few moons, Bluestar.” But before either cat could speak again, a shooting star blazed over the treetops. Spottedleaf’s tail twitched and the fur along her spine bristled. Bluestar’s ears pricked, but she remained silent as Spottedleaf’s vacant stare fixed on the distant stars.

After a few moments, the dappled tortoiseshell lowered her head and turned to the other cat. “It was a message from StarClan,” she murmured. Though her eyes were refocusing, her expression was still distant. “I thought it was fire, at first, because of the way that the star burned its way across the sky, but the stars told me this… The returning cold is the only thing that will save our Clan.”

“The cold?” Bluestar echoed. “Leaf-bare is what has robbed us of so many cats in the past! How can it save us?”

Spottedleaf shook her head. “I do not know,” she admitted, her amber eyes darkening at the thought of the lost cats from the freezing season. “But this is the message that StarClan has chosen to share with me.”

The ThunderClan leader fixed her clear blue eyes on the medicine cat. “You have never been wrong before, Spottedleaf,” she meowed solemnly. Turning her head to the stars again, she spoke with certainty. “If StarClan has spoken, then it must be so. The returning cold will save our Clan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here we have the prologue! It's quite a bit similar... but a cat has already died.

**Author's Note:**

> The allegiances for this book, a different interpretation of Into the Wild.


End file.
